Elijah Wood

As a child star, Elijah Wood's gentle demeanor and expressive eyes made him eminently likable with audiences, but it was his innate talent which helped him to make the successful transformation from c...
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30 Celebrity Commercials From Before They Were Famous

It's easy to get swept up with major Hollywood stars this time of year, gazing at the red carpet and thinking of these celebs as superhuman megastars, but even the biggest names around got their starts in less glamorous ways. Before their Oscars and Emmys, these stars had Pop Tarts and Lisa Frank.
1. Ben Affleck
Dig those smooth moves and that hip phone! The two-time Oscar winner starred in this Burger King commercial before becoming the megastar we know today from films like Good Will Hunting and Gone Girl. His next role may be playing Batman, but now we'll always think of him as this bad boy who breaks the rules.
2. Brad Pitt
It may be crazy to see a superstar like Brad Pitt shelling for potato chips, but if you think about it, not much has really changed for the Oscar-winning Fight Club star since this Pringles commercial: he still looks good enough to make our mouths water.
3. Jennifer Lawrence
Since starring in this commercial for MTV's Super Sweet 16, Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence has taught those boys how to properly carry her around on her throne, where this Oscar-winning actress belongs.
4. Stanley Tucci
We've always loved The Devil Wears Prada's Stanley Tucci, but seeing him young and hunky in this Levi's commercial made us love him even more.
5. Steve Carell
Steve Carell may have received his first Oscar nomination for his dramatic role in Foxcatcher, but this commercial shows that he's at his best when he's being funny and lovable.
6. Leonardo DiCaprio
We're like 97% sure we'd take our pants off immediately if Leo came up to us now and told us to "keep it poppin" or to "save some for Daddy." The 5-time Academy Award nominee is underrated even when it comes to his commercials.
7. Haley Joel Osment
We're just gonna throw this out there: The Sixth Sense could have been a much better movie if they'd stuck to the original line, "I see snack dragons." Just saying. Also, not even a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle would eat a pizza that looks that gross, Kraft.
8. Naomi Watts
Young Naomi Watts, the two-time Academy Award nominee you know from films like Birdman and Mulholland Drive, was once a teenager with a thick Australian accent. Like most of us, the near-perfect actress worried about her skin, her figure, and "that one" problem we don't talk about.
9. Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone
"You sound like a commercial." "You buyin' it?" This is the greatest moment of either of their careers. Just kidding, Sharon Stone has gone on to many other performances that are just as good, if not better.
10. Mila Kunis
So, we guess we can thank Mila Kunis for helping make Lisa Frank such a thing in the 90s. It's hard to believe that the star was only two years away from her breakout role on That '70s Show.
11. Elijah Wood:
We've always had a lot of love for Elijah Wood's facial expressions. From Lord of the Rings to Wilfred, his face is sometimes the only thing that makes his performances entertaining. This commercial might just be his shining moment.
12. Kristen Stewart
We love how sassy Kristen Stewart is in this Porsche commercial -- that head nod and "duh" look on her face, as if she would lie about missing her bus, Dad. But secretly, she's all *Live Fast, Die Hard, Bad Girls, Do It Well* #YOLO. Performance of her career, honestly.
13. Meg Ryan
We would personally rather watch a never-ending loop of Meg Ryan's face appearing over the Burger King logo than watch Sleepless in Seattle.
14. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
How many times have we fantasized about the chance to be at Joseph Gordon Levitt's house with him making us breakfast in the morning? Countless. But we never imagined it could be as adorable and delicious as this 1991 Pop Tarts commercial makes it seem.
15. Tobey Maguire
Yo, Spider-Man is having an uncomfortable amount of fun in the bathroom.
16. Corey Feldman
This adorable McDonalds commercial from 1975 may have been heartwarming back then, but 40 years later, it just reminds us how much The Goonies star hasn't aged since he was 4.
17. Demi Moore
We're not sure if the Ghost star was trying to sell Diet Coke by convincing us we might fall in love, or if she was trying to warn us of the dangers and health problems that could arise from drinking it, but we still like it.
18. Keanu Reeves:
Eating cereal has seriously never looked more fun than it does in this commercial. We would love to eat Kelloggs Corn Flakes with Keanu, Matrix style.
19. Stephen Colbert
This ad seems like a news report, and we can totally see a lot of similarities between this FirsTier Bank commercial and The Colbert Report.
20. Matt LeBlanc
Okay, the best things might come to those who wait, but does the Friends star now have to run back up to the roof, or is he just gonna waste that whole bottle of ketchup just to look cool eating one hot dog? Joey. Doesn't. Waste. Food.
21. Courteney Cox
Fun fact: the Friends star was the first person to ever say "period" (referring to menstruation, not punctuation) on TV. She then broke down more boundaries by starring in terribly-named-but-not-actually-terrible TV shows, like Cougar Town.
22. Elisabeth Moss
Are we the only ones watching this commercial as if we're watching Pegy pitch an ad campaign on Mad Men? We can't be.
23. Sarah Michelle Gellar
This 4-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar just slayed Burger King's competition faster than you could say "Buffy." Un-be-liev-able!
24. Bryan Cranston
Fans were amazed with how Bryan Cranston transformed from the lovable Hal on Malcolm in the Middle into the meth kingpin Heisenberg on Breaking Bad, but the truly incredible transformation of his career happened way earlier. The way he instantly goes from being a skunk to a human is absolutely astonishing.
25. Aaron Paul
This commercial seems like it could actually just be Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman waiting to eat his breakfast before heading off to Chemistry with Mr. White, doesn't it? Aaron Paul's gotta have his Pops, bitch!
26. Megan Mullally and John Goodman
We love Karen Walker enough to be able to recognize that incredible voice anywhere, even if it's some place strange, like a McDonalds commercial. While Karen would certainly never actually sell Egg McMuffins, we're pretty sure that Roseanne star John Goodman totally would.
27. Seth Green
We don't mean to diminish the abilities of our favorite werewolf from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or our favorite dimwitted cartoon son from Family Guy, but this is definitely Seth Green's brightest moment. That hair, the accent. He totally nails the 90s goon role with lines like, "Consequently, we can hit on 'em," and "Definitely - NOT!"
28. Tony Hale
Tony Hale won our hearts playing Buster on Arrested Development (and an Emmy playing Gary on Veep), and this commercial proves that he's made a career out of his hilarious concern regarding women's toiletries. We wonder if Gary's Leviathan on Veep has Herbal Essences.
29. Charlie Day
This quirky commercial for Cascade dishwasher detergent looks like Charlie Day just stepped out of an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Graduating and heading straight into retirement also seems like a total Charlie Kelly scheme, doesn't it?
30. Jane Lynch
Okay, the only thing we love more than Frosted Flakes and Tony the Tiger is this commercial with Glee star Jane Lynch camping out everyday trying to sneak a peak at the elusive mascot himself.

Actresses Bette Midler and Julianne Moore are among the stars who have expressed their sorrow and heartbreak after gunmen shot and killed 12 staff members at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday (07Jan15). At least two suspects stormed the publication's Paris offices and opened fire, gunning down 12 people and leaving four others critically injured in what French President Francois Hollande has branded a "terrorist attack".
Editors of the weekly Charlie Hebdo magazine have previously published controversial cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, infuriating devout members of Islam as depictions of religious figures are typically frowned upon. Wednesday's attack is believed to be related to that controversy.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of sympathy and support from a slew of celebrities, with Moore taking to Twitter.com to write, "I am heartbroken by the loss of life and attack on freedom of expression", while Midler posts, "There are no words. How many times have we said that in the last few years? Religious war comes to the doors of our homes. I think I have to go light some candles and say some prayers."
French actor Gilles Marini has shared his outrage in a series of posts, which read: "Shame on what happened in France today. Governments around the world TOGETHER must stop those vermin". He then adds, "To all Fanatics, extremist and devil (sic) that believe that God ask them to do that (sic). You're wrong and manipulated."
An angry Moby writes, "islamic extremists are willing to kill innocent people over CARTOONS?? what the f**k? what sort of deity can't handle a cartoon? here are some options if you're offended by a cartoon: a-don't look at it. or b-make a funnier cartoon. killing people is not an option".
Singer Josh Groban tweets, "My heart goes out to the French people and the city of Paris on this horrible day. This is an attack on us all and we are with you", and his actress girlfriend Kat Dennings adds, "Paris! My heart goes out to you and everyone affected by this horrific attack. I love you all."
Others who have tweeted about the shooting include Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood, Nancy Sinatra, Pete Wentz, OneRepublic, Nicki Minaj and Nicky Hilton.
As WENN went to press, the gunmen were still at large.
Among the dead are Charlie Hebdo founder Georges Wolinski and fellow famed cartoonists Jean 'Cabu' Cabut, Stephane 'Charb' Charbonnier and Bernard 'Tignous' Verlhac.

Scottish actor/singer Billy Boyd struggled to find the right words to bid a fond farewell to Middle-earth as he sat down to write the song which will play over the end credits of the final movie in The Hobbit trilogy. The star, who portrayed the hobbit Pippin in the Lord of the Rings films, teamed up with director Peter Jackson and writers/producers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens to pen the fittingly-titled The Last Goodbye for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies soundtrack, but he reveals it took them some time to get the lyrics and tune just right as it not only marked the end of The Hobbit sequel, but also the conclusion of the entire fantasy series based on the books by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Boyd, who fronts the band Beecake, explains to EW.com, "We had to get the song just right, to send the audience out of the movie theatre in the most perfect way we could...
"A lot of ideas took us to dead ends or we found the tone wasn't just right. I think we discovered very quickly this wasn't just a song to end The Battle of the Five Armies - it was a song to say goodbye to Middle-earth."
And Boyd admits he was really flattered to be invited to tackle the project.
He adds, "The Lord of the Rings films were such a special time for me in many ways - working with Pete, Fran and Philippa, being in New Zealand, being part of Professor Tolkien's work or even just the incredible friends I made. And being asked to go back to that, to work in that wonderful fantasy world again and to be singing the song that says goodbye to Middle-earth for everyone involved and the fans who took this beautiful journey with us is truly a great, great honour."
Boyd's efforts have been warmly received by The Hobbit stars Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood.
The veteran British star shared a link to the song's video with fans on Twitter.com on Sunday (23Nov14), alongside the message: "The Last Goodbye makes a perfect ending", while Wood writes: "This is truly beautiful and a fine farewell to Middle-Earth and our friends and family. So proud of @BillyBoydActor".
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is due to open in movie theatres next month (Dec14).

Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood is planning to kick off 2015 by debuting his new DJ duo on a short U.S. club tour. Wood formed Wooden Wisdom with fellow DJ and music enthusiast Zach Cowie, and the act has booked five shows in January (15).

"I have signed a picture of Elijah Wood, and I think we’ve both said in interviews that we would like to play each other in films of our lives. I was on a red carpet in Japan, and this Japanese man gave me a picture of Elijah, and I knew I wasn’t going to get past the language barrier to explain, so I wrote, 'I am not Elijah Wood, signed Daniel Radcliffe'." Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is often mistaken for Elijah Wood.

Elijah Wood and his The Hobbit director Peter Jackson have joined forces again to star in a new airline safety video. Wood, who plays Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings prequel, and Jackson were joined by Dean O'Gorman, who plays Fili the Dwarf in the franchise.
The short film for Air New Zealand, titled Middle Earth, features Wood and O'Gorman in character as they run through safety procedures such as putting on a life jacket and fastening a seat belt.
Jackson is shown in his director's role calling time on the shoot at the end of the clip, which was filmed in New Zealand.
It isn't the first time the airline has produced a spin off safety video - in 2012, bosses released a similar Lord of the Rings-themed clip, minus Wood.

Horror film fans have been given the chance to pitch their ideas for the next shocker blockbuster directly to Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth as part of a new Halloween-related online contest. Devotees of spooky films will have just six seconds to scare a panel of judges, including the directors, and the best entry will be developed into a new film project by Roth.
Actress and horror film buff Vanessa Hudgens, Kid Cudi, Rob Lowe and Elijah Wood will also be voting for the best short film.

CBS Films
Since putting down his wand and hanging up his glasses three years ago, Daniel Radcliffe has done his best to leave Harry Potter behind him by taking a wide variety of roles in both film and theater. Of course, like Harrison Ford and Elijah Wood before him, he might always be best known for his most famous franchise role, but just because Harry is the most famous, that doesn't mean it will be the only career-defining performance that Radcliffe gives. In fact, two of his upcoming films — What If and Horns — might just be two of the most important projects that Radcliffe releases. They could be the same kind of career-shaping roles as Harry himself, for on specific reason: they're the complete opposite of the Boy Who Lived.
With What If arriving in theaters this August and Horns followng shortly behind for Halloween, we could be on the precipice of a new age of Radcliffe's career; we could be seeing a brand new side of him by Christmas. But which film will have the bigger impact on Radcliffe's future filmography? Which one promises to bring a new role as life-changing as Harry Potter? We've broken them both down in order to find out:
What If The Role: Wallace, a normal guy who becomes infatuated with Chantry (Zoe Kazan), only to find out that she’s already in a relationship. The two decide to ignore their attraction to each other and pursue a friendship instead. What’s Risky: Firstly, it’s the first normal, modern person that Radcliffe has played onscreen. The awkward, sarcastic Wallace is about as far from the Wizarding World as one could possibly get. More importantly, though, it’s Radcliffe’s first romantic comedy – his first comedy at all, really – and the success of the film hinges on two things: his ability to be charming and lovable and his ability to be funny. He has showcased his comedic chops during his SNL hosting gig, but he still has yet to prove that he can carry a comedy on his own. What If relies on him winning over both Kazan and the audience. What’s Not: From what we’ve seen in the trailer, Wallace isn’t actually all that different from Radcliffe himself. They’re both quick-talking, witty guys who can poke fun at themselves and look ridiculous standing next to Adam Driver. It probably won’t be too hard for an audience to accept Radcliffe as a goofy, charming leading man, since that’s exactly who they’re used to seeing pop up in interviews and on talk shows.
Horns The Role: Ig Perrish, who is accused of raping and killing his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple), and wakes up one morning with demon-like horns growing out of his head. Since the horns give him powers of persuasion and cause people to confess their darkest secrets, he decides to use them to find the real killer. What’s Risky: Harry Potter, J. Pierpont Finch, even Wallace – Radcliffe always plays the hero. We’re comfortable with this, we like him as the reliable good guy who’s going to come out on top; but Ig Perrish is very much an anti-hero. In fact, he might actually be the villain of the film, and it’s a much darker, more complex role than anything Radcliffe has attempted on screen before. There’s a good chance that audiences won’t accept him as such a twisted, unlikable character, even if Ig does turn out to be the good guy at the end. What’s Not: The character might be completely different, but the fantasy setting and supernatural elements are familiar to Harry Potter fans who are used to seeing him battle all kinds of mythical forces. Horns might be a lot darker than that franchise, but the magic should be enough to entice moviegoers who still haven’t gotten enough of the Boy Who Lived. Plus, his first post-Potter film, The Woman in Black, was also a horror film, so audiences are already familiar with Radcliffe as a horror star.
Which One Would Have a Bigger Impact? It’s a tight race, since both films have something risky and something safe about them, but ultimately, we think What If has the bigger power to shape Radcliffe’s career. If the film does well, it opens him up to more comedic opportunities, and proves that he can carry a film even when he’s not hunting Horcuxes or battling evil. It also would establish Radcliffe as a romantic lead, and though his legions of loyal fans might disagree, it would be the first time that most audiences would see him in a more swoon-worthy light. Horns might let him play the bad guy, but in the end, it’s not as much of a change of pace for Radcliffe as What If would be.
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Comedian and Lord Of The Rings superfan Stephen Colbert dressed up in a Middle Earth costume on Saturday (26Jul14) as he stepped onstage at the San Diego Comic-Con event in California to moderate a panel discussion with The Hobbit stars Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis and Benedict Cumberbatch and filmmaker Peter Jackson.

"Kids... see things, between the ages of one to four..., that aren't there... A friend of mine had a two year old who walked into their neighbour's house and looked in the corner and said, 'Make the scary man go away'. That's really frightening... There was no one there." Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood on the inspiration behind his new comedy horror movie Cooties, in which a group of killer zombie children attempt to take over a school.

Title

Cast as a man who forms a unique relationship with his neighbor’s dog on the FX series "Wilfred"

Mother enrolled him in modeling school

Co-starred with Joseph Mazzello in "Radio Flyer"

Co-starred in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's uber-noir series of graphic novels "Sin City"; co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez

First break was a small role in Paula Abdul's music video for "Forever Your Girl"; directed by David Fincher

Starred in Liev Schreiber's directing debut "Everything Is Illuminated," as a young American in search of the woman who saved his Jewish grandfather during the Nazi invasion in Ukraine

Co-starred with Mel Gibson and Jamie Lee Curtis in "Forever Young"

Played Kevin Costner's son in "War"

Lent his voice to the feature-length adaptation of Shane Acker's short film "9"

Played the younger brother of Edward Burns' character in Burns' "Ash Wednesday"

Played the title role in Rob Reiner's comedy "North"

Made feature debut in "Back to the Future II"

Again played Frodo in the final installment of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

Acted in "Life Without Dick"; aired on on Encore in lieu of theatrical release

Played the boyfriend of a wannabe hip-hop groupie in James Toback's "Black and White"

Co-starred in the surprise blockbuster "Deep Impact" and the Robert Rodriquez thriller "The Faculty"

Portrayed Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's film version of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

First starring role, "Paradise," in which he played a young boy who brings estranged couple Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson back together

Played the lead role in "The Adventures of Huck Finn"

Co-starred with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Michel Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"; written by Charlie Kaufman

Won praise for his performance as the older son of Jamey Sheridan and Sigourney Weaver in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm"

Reprised role of Frodo Baggins for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"

Co-starred with Chris Klein and Jon Bernthal in "Day Zero"

Returned to Middle Earth as Frodo in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson

Portrayed the Artful Dodger (complete with Cockney accent) in the ABC movie presentation of "Oliver Twist"

Moved to Los Angeles with his family

Played a journalist turned thug in "Green Street Hooligans," a film about the violent gangs associated with England's soccer teams

Voice the main character Mumble in the animated film "Happy Feet"

Cast in Emilio Estevez's directorial debut "Bobby," an ensemble centered around the night of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination

First significant role, playing Aidan Quinn's son in Barry Levinson's "Avalon"

Played the lead role in "Flipper"

Summary

As a child star, Elijah Wood's gentle demeanor and expressive eyes made him eminently likable with audiences, but it was his innate talent which helped him to make the successful transformation from cute kid to respected adult actor. At age nine, Wood was already well on his way in Hollywood when director Barry Levinson gave him a prominent role in "Avalon" (1990). The young actor soon starred in a wide variety of projects, including "The Good Son" (1993), the Rob Reiner flop "North" (1994), the Ang Lee-directed drama "The Ice Storm" (1997), and the teen horror romp "The Faculty" (1998). It was, however, the announcement in 1999 that Wood had been cast in the leading role of Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's massive "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy that would forever mark his still young career. Filmed over the course of an entire year in New Zealand, the "Rings" films were huge successes, both critically and commercially, propelling Wood into the strata of full-fledged movie star. After the final entry in the fantasy series had premiered, Wood kept up the momentum with roles in high-profile films like Robert Rodriguez's noir comic book adaptation "Sin City" (2005), more intimate projects like "The Romantics" (2010), and the bizarre TV comedy series "Wilfred" (FX, 2011- ). The opportunities continued to be vast and varied for Wood, a talented performer who, while proving his versatility as an actor, would be forever remembered for his moving portrayal of the brave hobbit, Frodo.

Remained in Iowa when family moved to L.A. for Elijah's career; Divorced from Debbie Wood c. 1997

Debbie Wood

Mother

Roman Catholic; moved from Iowa with children to L.A. to aid in Elijah's career; Divorced from Warren Wood c. 1997

Zachariah Wood

Brother

Born c. 1974

Education

Name

Notes

His official website was found at www.elijahwood.com.

"Acting, if you have the right idea about the whole situation can help you grow as a person. I've become smarter as a person. I've had a better education – with tutors. In a way, it can be a very positive thing." – Wood quoted in USA Today, Nov. 4, 1994

"He's the first child actor I've worked with that I think is really an actor, he's not tied to his cuteness." – director Jon Avnet on working with Wood, quoted in Entertainment Weekly, Nov. 25, 1994

"As interesting as the project seemed, I was really scared because it was so far away from anything I'd done. Then I came to the conclusion that if you're ever fearful of taking a step forward to a place that could be better for you, you should always take it, because that's the only way you'll ever grow. So despite how afraid I was, I made the decision to continue." – Wood to Brooke Shields, talking about their film "Black and White" in Interview magazine, October 1999

"I'm done with Frodo, which is kind of amazing. It's sad in one respect because it's been such an incredible journey, and I think some of us felt like it would never end – in a good way. But it's nice to have a sense of completion, particularly with this last movie, which I think we're all the most proud of." – Wood on completing "The Lord of the Rings" to Nylon magazine, December 2003

"My philosophy has always been to try to put myself into roles and films that are different. That intensified after 'Lord of the Rings' because it was so massive, but it's something I've always believed in, wanting to change people's perceptions and challenge myself as an actor." – Wood quoted to Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 6, 2005

"I don't know that I necessarily feel more comfortable in the context of smaller films, but I tend to feel more comfortable more often than not with the material of smaller films." – Wood to CNN.com, Sept. 20, 2005